Toward Energetically Autonomous Foraging Soft Robots

Philamore, Hemma; Ieropoulos, Ioannis; Stinchcombe, Andrew; Rossiter, Jonathan

Abstract

© 2016, Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. A significant goal of robotics is to develop autonomous machines, capable of independent and collective operation free from human assistance. To operate with complete autonomy robots must be capable of independent movement and total energy self-sufficiency. We present the design of a soft robotic mouth and artificial stomach for aquatic robots that will allow them to feed on biomatter in their surrounding environment. The robot is powered by electrical energy generated through bacterial respiration within a microbial fuel cell (MFC) stomach, and harvested using state-of-the-art voltage step-up electronics. Through innovative exploitation of compliant, biomimetic actuation, the soft robotic feeding mechanism enables the connection of multiple MFC stomachs in series configuration in an aquatic environment, previously a significant challenge. We investigate how a similar soft robotic feeding mechanism could be driven by electroactive polymer artificial muscles from the same bioenergy supply. This work demonstrates the potential for energetically autonomous soft robotic artificial organisms and sets the stage for radically different future robots.

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Aug 5, 2016
• Online Publication Date: Oct 20, 2016
• Publication Date: Dec 1, 2016
• Deposit Date: Aug 16, 2016
• Publicly Available Date: Oct 20, 2017
• Journal: Soft Robotics
• Print ISSN: 2169-5172
• Electronic ISSN: 2169-5180
• Publisher: Mary Ann Liebert
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 3
• Issue: 4
• Pages: 186-197
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1089/soro.2016.0020
• Keywords: MFC, microbial fuel cell, robot, robotics, autonomous, autonomous machines, aquatic robot, energy autonomy
• Public URL: https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/905224
• Publisher URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1089/soro.2016.0020
• Additional Information: Additional Information : Final publication is available from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers http://dx.doi.org/10.1089/soro.2016.0020
• Contract Date: Aug 16, 2016